Hall of Fame Green Bay Packers coach Vince
Lombardi has a famous quote that talks about how champions are made
inch by inch. His point was that if his offensive line could move
the opponents line an inch better each time they play, eventually
those inches will lead to more space for first downs and bigger
holes for his running backs. Rather than look at the ultimate larger
goal at hand, he liked to break things down into smaller, manageable
goals. This philosophy really comes into play when it comes to
improving your goaltending skills.

As a goalie progresses
through his or her career, there are transitions to be made at each
and every level of play. If the goalie relies on what he or she did
as a mite to be successful at the high school level, the results
will not be very good. Knowing that we must change our habits and be
aware of the little things in our game doesnt mean that change is
easy to do or easy to accept. Many promising goalies fall by the
wayside as they move up levels because they are too stubborn in
their habits to change to faster, stronger and smarter shooters.

There are some stages each
goalie must go through when they are making adjustments to their
style of play. The first stage is awareness. You must become aware
of the weaknesses in your game. Lets say youre getting beat top
shelf glove a lot. Rather than just getting mad and frustrated over
it, you need to be more aware of the type of shot thats beating you
and seeking ways to address the failure. Failure is a good thing.
You can learn and grow from it. If you dont learn from your
mistakes, you are doomed to keep repeating them. Instead of having a
tantrum over the high glove shots that are beating you, look at the
problem logically. Is your glove wrist turned forward enough so the
puck will go into your pocket instead of over your glove? Do you
reach behind your body to try and catch the puck when its easier to
meet it ahead of your body with a forward diagonal from your nose to
your thumb?

Once youve identified the correction to your
weakness, dont expect to change overnight. Patience is the next
stage. If you get beat in the same areas while you are consciously
trying to change your technique it is perfectly normal. The more you
consciously tweak your game, the sooner it moves to your
sub-conscious so the new technique becomes a part of your new muscle
memory. Remember, old bad habits and old muscle memory do not change
overnight. These habits are ingrained in your psyche. However,
having the knowledge and patience to be aware that you have a
problem and then addressing it in a logical way without letting your
emotions get the best of you will allow you to move your game to
higher levels. You have the ability to choose how you want to stop
the puck . Champion goaltending truly is built and inch at a time.
If your positioning is better by an inch, a shooter may miss the
net. If you give up an inch the shooter doesnt deserve, the puck
may go in. Pay attention to details, dont get frustrated and have
an open mind to learn new skills. These positive habits will keep
you successful as you move up the hockey ladder!